Nora: Say something, Arthur! Tell the whole room again how my daughter stole your diamond!
Arthur: I... I forgot I took it to the shop this morning...
Nora: You forgot? You nearly fractured a little girl's skull because you were too drunk to remember your own morning errands!
Victoria: Arthur! Did you hit a child?
Victoria: Look at her head! She's bleeding onto her dress!
Arthur: It was an accident! I thought she was a pickpocket!
Victoria: She's a little girl! How could you be so cruel?
Nora: He wasn't confused, Victoria. He wanted an excuse to cause a scene because his real estate firm is bankrupt!
Arthur: Shut your mouth! My firm is worth two hundred million dollars!
Nora: Your firm has fourteen foreclosure liens filed against its downtown properties as of four o'clock this afternoon!
Guest A: Fourteen liens? Is Montgomery Holdings going under?
Guest B: I invested two million in his commercial fund last month!
Arthur: She’s making it up! She’s trying to destroy my stock value!
Nora: Check your phone, Arthur. The Wall Street Journal just published the story ten minutes ago.
Arthur frantically pulled his gold-cased smartphone from his inner jacket pocket. His fingers trembled as he scanned the screen, his eyes widening in pure horror as headline after headline confirmed his firm's collapse.
Arthur: How... how did they get those internal audits? Those files were encrypted on my private server!
Nora: They were encrypted until my forensic team unsealed them for the Department of Justice two hours ago.
Arthur: Your forensic team? Who the hell are you?
The heavy front doors of the ballroom suddenly chimed as hotel staff unlocked them. Two paramedics carrying orange medical bags rushed into the hall, followed by three uniformed police officers led by a tall detective in a grey coat.
Detective Vance: Police! Nobody move! Where is the child who was assaulted?
Nora: Over here, Detective. My daughter needs medical attention immediately.
Paramedic: Let us through, please! Small child with head trauma!
The paramedic knelt beside Lily, carefully applying a sterile pressure bandage to her forehead while checking her pupils with a small flashlight.
Paramedic: Heart rate is stable, but she’s going to need four stitches at the emergency room. We need to transport her now.
Lily: Mommy... am I in trouble?
Nora: No, my sweet angel. You did nothing wrong. Mommy is right here with you.
Detective Vance: Who committed the assault?
Nora: That man standing right there. Arthur Montgomery. He hit my six-year-old daughter with that iron stanchion stand.
Detective Vance: Mr. Montgomery, is this true?
Arthur: Detective, listen to me! It was a complete misunderstanding! The light was dark, and I thought—
Guest C: He swung it right at her face, Officer! I recorded the whole thing on my phone!
Guest D: I have video from two different angles! He called the little girl a thief and struck her!
Detective Vance: Turn around and place your hands behind your back, Mr. Montgomery.
Arthur: Do you know who I am? I contribute to the police pension fund! Call Chief Miller right now!
Detective Vance: Chief Miller was suspended an hour ago by federal authorities, Mr. Montgomery. Now put your hands behind your back before I add resisting arrest to your felony charges.
The cold steel handcuffs clicked loudly around Arthur’s wrists in front of every major investor in Washington D.C.